The first time I travelled to Helsinki was two years ago, thanks to My Helsinki who invited me to experience the Helsinki Secret program. Since then I have been lucky enough to go back to Finland and experienceLapland in winter and the archipelago near Turku in summer – twice!

Frequent stops in Helsinki have allowed me to make friends who have introduced me to some of the best restaurants and bars in the city.

So, here is my personal city guide to Helsinki. Hope you enjoy it!

Breakfast / PastriesCafé Ekberg, best bread and pastries in townThe Cock, I know… And they open at 11am, but you’re on holiday, right?Ipi Kulmakuppila, it’s in Kallio – the hipster neighbourhood of Helsinki – and it’s beautifully designed
RestaurantsJuuri, “Finnish cuisine with attitude.” Perfection in a dish. Impossible not to love itSandro, Middle Eastern flavours and a down-to-earth atmosphereFisken på Disken, looking for fish? This it the placeSavotta, traditional Finnish cuisine in front of the Helsinki CathedralNolla, the best discovery of my last trip. Passionate owners, great chef and a food recycler compost machine – a must!Vibami, quaint Vietnamese restaurant in the city center
Cocktails, beers and wineYes Yes Yes!, a perfectly designed and vegan friendly restaurants in a former McDonald’s. Sharable dishes and a fantastic selection of cocktails, wine, and beer!Bier-Bier, good selection of beers from all over the worldBar Bronco, local sports bar where you can watch hockey gamesHoliday Bar, to pretend you are somewhere tropical even if it’s -10°C outsideIl Birrificio, if you are in the mood for craft beer and sausageSoil Wine Room, good selection of wines and Spanish tapas

Coffee ShopsAndante, where Finland meets Japan (or viceversa)Paulig Kulma, Finland’s most famous coffee roaster opened a coffee shop, a great place to get some work done!El Fant, one of my favorite coffee shops. I usually get a green tea and an avocado toast. Trust me!
HotelsHotel Indigo, best location, friendly staff and nice roomsHotel Katajanokka, a former prison turned into a hotelAallonkoti, right next to the central station, it’s so comfortable you may not want to leaveLilla Roberts, Art Deco hotel in the design district

I love Hawai’i. And I think we should respect the food traditions of other cultures. With that in mind, I felt compelled to do a short and educational post about poke.

In Milan we are currently living through pokemania, or as most places would write it—pokémania.

C’mon guys, it’s poke! Repeat it with me: poʊˈkeɪ/poh-kay with no accent!

Almost every new poke place here is called poké-something and it’s not just the spelling they’re getting wrong, many are also making a dish far away from the original recipe. I write this out of love for Hawaii, and because I’d like to find a good poke option in Italy, too.

The meaning: Poke means to slice, to cut. Fish in this case. Raw fish. It’s a raw fish salad made the Hawaiian way.
Traditionally, it is made with aku (oily tuna) or he’e/tako (octopus). These days you’ll often see ahi (yellow tuna). Salmon and shellfish are other options, but not the rule. It doesn’t even have to include seafood, avocado poke and tofu poke are common vegetarian substitutes.

Cube shaped: The fish is cut into cubes, not thin slices like chirashi. It really affects the texture!

Seasoning: The fish should be seasoned with shoyu, green onions, and sesame oil. All of these three ingredients are mandatory! You can add more, but you can’t leave these three out.

Now, I’m not Hawaiian—only in my soul—so I’d love to hear what some Hawaiians, chefs, and poke fans think about what makes a great authentic poke.

For more about Poke, I found this article on The Honolulu Magazine really interesting – Poke: Past and Present

Lots of people keep asking me for a list of my favorite places in Milan. So this is a personal guide to some of the best spots in town. And I’ll keep updating this guide as I find new places here in Milan!

Breakfast / PastriesGiacomo, great light and atmosphere in the morning, Palazzo RealeBar Luce, Wes Anderson designed bar, Fondazione PradaPasticceria Marchesi, I prefer the one in Galleria Vittorio EmanuelePave Break, less crowded than the original one, Porta RomanaTaglio, best eggs benedict in Milan

Authentic JapanesePoporoya, Chef Shiro is a sushi legend and so is his chirashi, Porta VeneziaCasa Ramen Super, Luca is bringing to Milan the best of Japanese fusion cuisine with an Italian twist, Isola DistrictTenoha, a modern Japanese restaurant inside a Milanese court, Navigli AreaGastronomia Yamamoto, in the heart of Milan a stylish izakaya where you can get the best Japanese karē in Milan

CocktailsRita, by far my favorite one, Navigli AreaMag Café,hipster hangout, Navigli AreaCarlo e Camilla in Segheria, the location is as great as their cocktails, Navigli AreaBar Basso, birthplace of the Negroni Sbagliato, Porta VeneziaIter, quite cocktail bar out of the crowd in the Navigli Area

Beers Al Coccio, Navigli AreaPave Birra, Porta VeneziaBirrificio Lambrate, since 1996 good craft beer made in Milan, LambrateHop, the younger brother of Birrificio Lambrate a bit closer to the city center, Porta RomanaBar Magenta, they say they invented the aperitivo in Milan, Corso Magenta x Carducci

Slice the boneless and skinless chicken thighs. In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat.
Sprinkle the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper and cook until lightly browned. Transfer the chicken into a larger pot, together with its juice.
Add the broth and the orange juice. Reduce heat to medium-low when boiling; cover and simmer until chicken is tender and cooked, about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan. Add onions and cook until they are golden. Add pistachios, garlic, cumin, and chillies.

Transfer the chicken into a large bowl. Pour chicken and its broth into the onion mixture. Add raisins and oregano to the saucepan. Cover and cook for about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and add chocolate. Let stand until chocolate melts and the sauce mixture cools slightly, about 15 minutes.

Blend the sauce mixture until smooth.
Serve your chicken on warm tortillas, add the mole sauce and sprinkle with cilantro.

Add some red radish and, if you like it, a dollop of sour cream – just whisk plain yogurt and lemon juice together with salt and pepper to taste!

Voila!

This series of three recipes is brought to you thanks to Santa Maria products, available in Italy. All opinions are my own.